Too close
by mocca93
Summary: Katniss and Gale get far too close, just before she is thrown into the Quarter Quell...


They were running behind me, chasing me. Mutts. They were so close that I could even hear them breath. Usually I was the hunter, but this time I was the prey. Their brown eyes made me shiver. I knew them by heart, but I've never seen them in a mutt's face. Rue. These warm and friendly brown eyes belonged to her. Rue was dead. She died in my arms. The mutts were still behind me, ready to kill me. And there was no way out…

"NO!", I screamed and opened my eyes, but it was silent. My heart was still racing when I realized that I was in my bed. I leaned my head against the wall behind my bed and tried to calm down. After a couple of minutes I was still shaking and I knew that I wouldn't be able to fall asleep again. I looked at the watch hanging on my wall. 5:10. With a quiet sigh I got up and put on my father's old hunting clothes. When I left the house Prim and mum were still sleeping, the only one who was awake was Buttercup. The cat hissed at me.

"Don't hiss at me, yeah? I can still kick you out of our house."

Buttercup hissed again, jumped off the chair and left. What a silly cat.

...

It was still a bit chilly outside, but the sky was light blue and I was positive that this would be a nice day. As always there were hardly any people on the streets and it was comfortably quiet. When I reached our rock half an hour later, Gale was already waiting for me.

"Hi!"

"Morning, Catnip."

I couldn't help but smile as he mentioned my nickname. I had really missed that in the arena. I had really missed him. It was good to have my best friend and hunting partner back.

He stood up. "Ready to check the snare-line?"

I nodded and we started walking next to each other.

...

We had a good haul today and Gale was really satisfied. After all the weeks he had spent in the mines it was good to see him in a good mood. I shot three squirrels and found some strawberries for the major. He always paid a good price for them and I wanted to buy some sweets for the kids. After we had finished hunting Gale and I sat in our rock and he handed me some bread. I wished he would let me take care of our breakfast. I mentioned that once and he got really mad at me. Gale was too stubborn to accept this kind of "present", even if he knew that I could afford it.

For a while we just sat there, quietly eating our bread and the cheese from Prim's goat.

Gale wiped the crumbs off his trousers. "So, how is bread-boy doing?"

I rolled my eyes, annoyed by his behaviour. "His name is Peeta."

"Whatever."

I looked at him. "You still don't like him, hm?"

"No, I don't like him."

"Why?"

He didn't answer. He stared at his shoes, then he suddenly stood up and started walking.

I ran after him, trying to catch up. "Gale, wait!"

He didn't stop, but after a while I was close enough to grab his arm. "I asked you something!"

"So?"

"Damn Gale, what's wrong with you? Answer me!"

"What's wrong with ME? Geez, Katniss, did you seriously think I would like the boy who has my girl?"

...

I stared at him, completely shocked. He couldn't be serious about that, could he? The expression in his face told me that he was indeed serious about that.

"I…I am not your girl", I stuttered, just because I couldn't manage to come up with something else. Gale was like a brother for me, my best friend, but I had never thought that he could like me in…this way.

"I know you're not. But you could have been if I hadn't screwed up the whole thing." He turned round and started walking again.

"Why didn't you tell me?", I yelled while I followed him.

He stopped at once, still facing the woods. "I tried to."

What? He never mentioned something like that. "When?", I wanted to know.

He turned round. "In the Justice Building."

As soon as I was thinking about the Reaping one year ago my heart started racing. In my mind I replayed the minutes I had with Gale back then, right before Peeta and I had to leave.

**"Listen," he says. "Getting a knife should be pretty easy, but you've got to get your hands on a bow. That's your best chance."**

**"They don't always have bows," I say, thinking of the year there were only horrible spiked maces that the tributes had to bludgeon one another to death with.**

**"Then make on," says Gale. "Even a weak bow is better than no bow at all." (…)**

**"I don't even know if there'll be wood."**

**"There's almost always some wood. Since that year half of them died of cold. Not much entertainment in that."**

**"Yes, there's usually some."**

**"Katniss, it's just hunting. You're the best hunter I know," says Gale.**

**"It's not just hunting. They're armed. They think."**

**"So do you. And you've had more practice. Real practice. You know how to kill."**

**"Not people," I say.**

**"How different can it be?" (…)**

**The Peacekeepers are back too soon and Gale asks for more time, but they're taking him away and I start to panic. "Don't let them starve!" I cry out, clinging to his hand.**

**"I won't! You know I won't! Katniss, remember I-" he says, and they yank us apart and slam the door and I'll never know what it was he wanted me to remember.**

...

"Remember, I…", I whispered and a small but rather sad grin appeared on Gale's face.

"Just a pity I never got to finish that sentence." He touched my braid with his finger and started walking away again. After two steps he stopped abruptly and turned round. The next thing I knew was that his lips were on mine. The kiss was sweet and soft, but Gale broke it as soon as I had felt his lips. I could swear that he had whispered, "Love you", but he was gone before I had the chance to ask him.

My name is Katniss Everdeen. I am seventeen years old. I have survived the Hunger Games, together with Peeta. President Snow hates me. Gale has just told me that he loves me. I didn't tell him that I might love him back.

**I don't own the Hunger Games and the characters. The passage in bold is copied from "The Hunger Games" by Suzanne Collins. All rights by Suzanne Collins.**


End file.
